Did your parents ever tell you this? (Over and over again, like mine, lol) Be careful what you wish for – you just might get it.

Telling that to a desperately lonely woman is a waste of breath! Those long hours of working in a lab make her imagine the guy she’d love to meet – tall, dark, strikingly handsome. Alpha male, of course. Intelligent would be great. And cultured. A guy who appreciates hard work as much as fun and humor.

My dad used to have another saying that stuck with me – don’t wish your life away. So true! I spent way too much time as a kid dreaming about what I wanted. Dreaming is wonderful, don’t get me wrong. Without dreaming, I’d never be a writer. All those daydreams brought to life stories and vivid characters that now seem like dear old friends. And while I was wishing and dreaming as a kid, I was also writing. Some dreams just stay with you.

I know what I’ve been wishing for all year – release day for Cursed! And now it’s out! It’s a dream come true. Seriously, I don’t know when I’ve been more excited for a release. And this is just the first of three books (so far) in this series.

Here’s a peek at Cursed!

Cursed

The Vitruvian Man, book 1

by Cate Masters

Paranormal romance novella

Available from

Decadent Publishing’s new Tease line http://www.decadentpublishing.com/product_info.php?products_id=767&osCsid=55spbi1c1g6m9c5lo8rdo7jd17

Amazon:  http://www.amazon.com/Cursed-The-Vitruvian-Man-ebook/dp/B00CGM8ARA/ref=sr_1_cc_1?s=aps&ie=UTF8&qid=1366571454&sr=1-1-catcorr&keywords=Cate+Masters%2C+cursed

Barnes & Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/cursed-cate-masters/1046524638?ean=2940016637204

Coffee Time Romance: http://www.coffeetimeromance.com/BookStore/pubs_product_book_info/decadent-publishing-c-93/cursed-p-9911

All Romance: https://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-cursed-1169369-140.html

Blurb

Ten days of freedom. That’s all Fate had allotted me each year. In the streets of Venice, I could walk among them. Mingle. Belong.

During Carnevale, they had no idea who I was. What I was.

For ten days, it didn’t matter.

Until I met her.

Bruno diCesare lives alone by necessity, not choice. An experiment performed by Leonardo da Vinci, who believed having a dual DNA would grant a person immortality, used magic to render Bruno a chimera – the head of a lion, body of a dragon. The only time he can mingle with people is during Carnevale, ten glorious days of masked anonymity, frivolity and intimacy.

Melina Weaver learned fire dancing to enliven her dull existence. A scientist, her long hours at the lab leave no time for a social life. For ten days at Carnevale, she can pretend to be someone else. Someone sexy and daring, who lives on the edge.

Once she meets Bruno, her wish comes true, but everything goes terribly wrong. Beneath Bruno’s costume lurks an alpha male, but is he dangerous? Worse, can she return to an employer who sells her research to the military to make an army of efficient killers? Her only hope may lie with the man she’s just met and never seen.

Watch the book video: http://youtu.be/Zwp1Xdg0Dd8

Excerpt

Light danced in his dark eyes. “I must admit, your fire dancing fascinated me. What made you choose such a dangerous skill to master?”

“The thrill of the challenge, I suppose.” It balanced the rest of her mundane life, to a degree. Mastering each new level gave her a sense of achievement, where work couldn’t.

Something flashed through his dark eyes. “Mistakes must be very painful.”

“I practiced a long time before I worked up the nerve to actually light the wands. I found the fire great incentive to focus, however.” God, her grin must be goofy, the way he stared. Such gorgeous eyes, such a deep brown they almost appeared black. He probably had rugged features, if his large hands provided any indication. Too bad he wore gloves, another barrier between them.

“Yes,” he said, “I imagine so.”

“What about you? What other magic do you know?” Oh please, can you get any more ridiculous? It sounded like a line from a bad chick flick.

The crinkle around his eyes was the only evidence of his smile, but enough to charm her.

“Lifetimes of studying the dark arts have provided me with many tricks.”

“Lifetimes?” she blurted.

He stiffened in her arms. “Pardon?”

She watched him carefully. “You said ‘lifetimes’. Plural.” And what the hell did he mean by ‘dark arts’?

Rigidity masked the grace of his movements. “I’m sure you’re mistaken.” He stared over her head as they whirled to the song’s rhythm.

Mistaken my ass. How very strange. More strange that the question upset him. He’d clammed up, and his muscles were so tense, she expected him to bolt. Better to drop it. For now. “Must have been a slip of the tongue.”

“Yes.” Relief sounded in his tone, though guarded.

This man had something to hide. How intriguing.

Giveaway!

I’ll give away Cursed book swag to one lucky commenter! Just tell me what you have been wishing for – and be sure to leave your email address. 🙂

Thanks to Coffee Time Romance for inviting me to share on Release Rave Day!

Bio

Cate Masters has made beautiful central Pennsylvania her home, but she’ll always be a Jersey girl at heart. When not spending time with her dear hubby, she can be found in her lair, concocting a magical brew of contemporary, historical, and fantasy/paranormal stories with her cat Chairman Maiow and dog Lily as company. Look for her at http://catemasters.blogspot.com and in strange nooks and far-flung corners of the web.

Cate loves to hear from readers! Email her at: cate.masters@gmail.com

Catch up to Cate

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• About the Author
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Cate Masters

Cate Masters has made beautiful central Pennsylvania her home, but she’ll always be a Jersey girl at heart. When not spending time with her dear hubby, she can be found in her lair, concocting a magical brew of contemporary, historical, and fantasy/paranormal stories with her cat Chairman Maiow and dog Lily as company. Look for her at http://catemasters.blogspot.com and in strange nooks and far-flung corners of the web.
Cate loves to hear from readers! Email her at: cate.masters@gmail.com

catemasters.blogspot.com

• Geeky heroine seeks alpha male
• Playing with fire
• Be careful what you wish for